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Topic: Spadalach's Concealed Carry (Read 2712 times)

On 13skills.com, they call this skill Concealed Weapons Permit, but for me it's more about the ability to carry a weapon comfortably and discretely. The permit is one of the steps, but it is not the destination. Not this time. You see, I already had a permit when I lived in Texas, but I never actually carried. I never learned how. This time will be different.

Do I go for power or do I go for concealability? I spent way too much time thinking about this, but in the end I went for the Catholic both/and position. (Or if you prefer, Deion Sanders' version.) On the power side, I went for a Glock 30. .45 ACP pretty much defines the power end of the concealed carry handgun spectrum, right? (If you're "comfortably and discretely" packing a .454 Casull or better, please let me know how...) But back to the Glock 30 -- it's a solid round. The gun's not too big (I hope). Yet it's got a decent capacity. 10+1 rounds (pictured). 9 if I need to go small. Or 13 (less discreet). Or more! (Maybe the extended mag goes in another pocket).

If I was wise I would have waited to get the right holster and see if that Glock 30 would be the every day carry (EDC) gun of my dreams. The real me, on the other hand, started conjuring up all the scenarios when only a pocket gun would suffice. What if I need to wear a tucked in polo and khakis? What if it's the day after Thanksgiving, and the one pair of 5.11's I bought 2 inches too big (for IWB carry) is in the wash? So at the gunshow this weekend I picked up a Smith & Wesson 642. This is a .38 special J-frame snub-nose revolver, capable of handling the over-pressure "plus P" loads. There are other brands, but Smith had lots of support. There is one tougher cartridge in this frame, but they say that in this short a barrel, a .357 magum just gives you more flash and a more painful recoil, but no more productive velocity. I am very satisfied with this revolver as my bare-minumum EDC. It has a lot to recommend it over a .380 or .32 semi, both in stopping power and reliability. I've also got Crimson Trace laser sights on order.

Step 3: Buy holsterI haven't settled on a holster for the Glock 30, but I am leaning toward a Crossbreed inside the wasteband setup. For the .38, I have ordered a Robert Mika pocket holster which I am really looking forward to. Within a couple hours of placing the holster order, I had a voicemail from Bob Mika telling me he'd recieved the order, when I should expect it, and giving his personal assurance that there's no other holster like it on the market. I'll be my own judge of course, but that's a good start to the relationship. I'll post pictures when I receive it.

Step 4: Arrend mandatory trainingIn person concealed carry classes in my neck of the woods are booked up until March. Luckily for me in Virginia you can satisfy the mandatory training requirement for a concealed carry permit with an online class and test. Done and done. I have had in-person training with a live-fire component when I got my previous CHL in Texas, but I will never-the-less be seeking out further defensive pistol training to sharpen my skills.

Step 5: Apply for permitDone and received. Whereas Texas required fingerprints, passport photos, and notarized forms all mailed off to the state, in Virginia it is a much smoother process handled at your local county courthouse. No fingerprints (county-discretion), no photos, and the county clerk taking the application is the notary. I received the permit within a few weeks, but I think there's even a provision in the law where a non-response becomes a de facto permit. I still love Texas, but there are ways in which Virginia is a free-er state.

Step 6: Carry 10 timesI've carried once so far, with the .38 in a zipper coat pocket. I was pretty self-conscious at first, but that did wear off. I probably won't carry again until I get my holster though.

Spadalach,Congrats on making the decision to carry concealed and you look like you have done a lot of research which is great. I typically carry either a Beretta 92FS (15+1 jacketed hollow point) or a Springfield XDM .45 (8+1 jacketed hollow point). I have leather inside the wasteband holsters for each. The only suggestion I would make for you is to carry concealed more often than 10 times as your short term goal. I would carry anywhere that you are allowed (by local law) including in your house. Having carried concealed for over 10 years now, I am compltely comfortable carrying, but that took a few months of doing every day to reach and I would recommend the same for anyone. It just takes time to get used to how your gun will sit on your hip and the longer you wear it, the less self concious you will be. And if you are like me, you will also start to alter the types of clothes you buy so that they give you the best concealment when you carry and do everyday tasks.

Nice post Spadalach, it looks like you're taking a good, serious approach to concealed carry. I'm in a similar boat when it comes to carrying, I've only been at it for a few months.

I was really nervous at first and I was convinced that I was printing, showing, etc. even though I clearly wasn't. What really helped me was to carry as much as possible, like BamaPrepper says.

Also, I started carrying when my girlfriend and I go out of the house together. At the end of the day, I'll ask her if she's noticed my weapon. So far, she has NEVER been able to tell (she's even patted me right on the holster a few times), and if even SHE can't tell then I figure nobody else can either.

BamaPrepper and CTyler7, thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely take your advice to carry as much as possible. It'll be a bit longer for the Glock, but I'm expecting the holster for my little Smith & Wesson revolver in just another couple weeks. In the meantime, my new laser grips have arrived, so here's a comparison of the stock S&W 642 grips vs. the Crimson Trace LG-405s.

The height of the Crimson Trace grips (on the right) is the same as the originals, but they have extra padding in the back to reduce felt recoil. I'm looking forward to getting some practice in!